Disc launching device

ABSTRACT

A disc launching device includes a long handle and a disc holder at one end of the handle. The handle may include a grip end for holding the handle, an attachment end opposite the grip end, and a shaft extending from the grip end to the attachment end. The disc holder is attached to the attachment end of the handle. It includes a front rail for holding one side of a disc, a back rail for holding an opposite side of the disc, and at least one support member extending between the front rail and the back rail. The front rail and the back rail form an opening on one side of the disc holder, configured to allow the disc to launch out of the disc holder through the opening when sufficient forward momentum is applied to the disc holder via the handle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/535,725, filed Aug. 8, 2019, entitled, “DISC LAUNCHING DEVICE,” whichis a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/928,980, filedMar. 22, 2018, entitled, “DISC LAUNCHING DEVICE,” now U.S. Pat. No.10,378,865, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entiretyinto the present application.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application is directed generally to field of sports and leisureequipment. More specifically, the application describes a disc launchingdevice used to throw a disc for sport or leisure.

BACKGROUND

Analysts forecast the multi-billion-dollar sports equipment market togrow to over $80 billion by 2020. Product improvement and an emergenceof e-commerce will continue to fuel growth of the sports equipmentmarket. Additionally, baby boomers continue to be active andenthusiastic participants in leisure sports requiring sports equipment.Sports equipment product designs are often tailored to specific usercapabilities, and the baby boomer generation is the largest segment ofthe leisure sports population.

Tossing a disc (or flying saucer) was popularized by the “Frisbee,”released by the Wham-O company over 50 years ago. Several laws ofphysics come into play for a human to propel a flying disc by hand, andseveral articulating joint groups are used to propel a flying disc,including the shoulder, elbow and wrist joints. Forward momentum isgenerated by a backhand or forehand throwing motion of the arm and afinal snap of the wrist, while releasing the flying disc provides spinand gyroscopic stability, which allow the disc to fly more efficiently(without wobble) before gravity finally pulls the disc down to earth.The faster the throwing motion and wrist snap, the farther the flyingdisc will fly.

Throwing a flying disc by hand is a well-known pastime, requiring acertain level of athleticism, coordination, and mobility. However, noteveryone possesses the skill and mobility to throw a flying discconsistently or with a desired trajectory and distance. Additionally,throwing a flying disc by hand can often cause pain or soreness,specifically in the shoulder, elbow, and wrist.

Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a device, system and methodfor propelling a flying disc accurately and efficiently. Ideally, such adevice, system and method would allow for easy, simple throwing of adisc, while reducing the stress placed on the thrower's shoulder, elbow,and wrist.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a disc launching deviceincludes a handle, a disc holding housing coupled with the handle, and adisc retention arm moveably coupled with the disc holding housing. Insome embodiments, the handle may be moveably coupled to the disc holdinghousing, and the disc retention arm may be fixed within the disc holdinghousing.

The handle has a first end and a second end, with a handle grip portiondisposed at the first end of the handle, and with the disc holdinghousing disposed at the second end of the handle. In some embodiments,the handle has a U-shaped groove at or near the second end of the handlefor attachment of the disc holding housing. Also, in some embodiments,the second end of the handle has a rectangular or square boss projectingfrom at or near the second end of the handle for attachment of the discholding housing.

The disc holding housing is comprised of a front rail, a back rail, atop support, a bottom support, and an aperture for housing a discthrough and between the rails and supports. The disc holding housing ismoveably coupled to the second end of the handle and may be positionedparallel to the long axis of the handle, perpendicular to the long axisof the handle, or at an angle between parallel and perpendicular to thelong axis of the handle. In some embodiments, the disc holding housingis un-moveably attached to the second end of the handle and may bemanufactured as a monolithic handle/disc holding housing.

In one embodiment, the disc holding housing is comprised of a discretention arm with a high-friction portion of the disc retention armproviding mechanical resistance or pinch on the disc, and furthercomprised of an adjustable disc retention arm adjustment slider moveablyattached to the front rail of the disc holding housing. In otherembodiments, the disc retention arm and disc retention arm adjustmentslider may be attached to the back rail of the disk holding housing. Andin yet other embodiments the disc retention arm may be an un-moveableprotuberance attached to, or part of the front or back rails of the discholding housing.

In another aspect of the disclosure, a method for throwing a flying discmay involve a thrower holding the first end of the handle and grabbingthe second end of the handle and positioning the disc holding housingperpendicular to the long axis of the handle, scooping the disc off ofthe ground into the aperture within the disc holding housing, liftingthe disc within the disc holding housing above the thrower's waist levelfor easy viewing, moving the position of the disc holding housing'saperture parallel to the long axis of the handle, adjusting the discretention arm slider to the thrower's preferred location, and swingingthe handle of the disc launching device, creating forward momentum andelastic potential energy at the interface of the disc and the discretention arm until such moment in time the elasticity of disc retentionarm yields and the disc releases parallel to the top support arm andbottom support arm exiting the disc holding housing aperture and takesgyroscopically stable flight.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a disc launching deviceincludes a handle and a disc holder. The handle includes a grip end forholding the handle, an attachment end opposite the grip end, and a shaftextending from the grip end to the attachment end. The disc holder isattached to the attachment end of the handle and includes a front railfor holding one side of a disc, a back rail for holding an opposite sideof the disc, and at least one support member extending between the frontrail and the back rail. The front rail and the back rail form an openingon one side of the disc holder, configured to allow the disc to launchout of the disc holder through the opening when sufficient forwardmomentum is applied to the disc holder via the handle.

In some embodiments, the handle is moveable relative to the disc holderfrom a loading configuration, in which a longitudinal axis of the handleis angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the disc holder, and athrowing configuration, in which the longitudinal axis of the handle isparallel to the longitudinal axis of the disc holder. Such embodimentsmay further include a locking member to lock the handle relative to thedisc holder in the throwing configuration. The locking member mayoptionally also be configured to lock the handle relative to the discholder in the loading configuration.

In some embodiments, each of the front rail and the back rail includes atop portion and a bottom portion, and an edge of the disc fits betweenthe top portion and the bottom portion of the front rail and the backrail. In some embodiments, an inner surface of each of the front railand the back rail, between the top portion and the bottom portion, hasan inward facing V-shape. the top portion and the bottom portion of thefront rail and the back rail are configured to grip the disc betweenthem, and wherein the sufficient amount of forward momentum deflects atleast one of the top portion or the bottom portion to allow the disc tolaunch from the opening in the disc holder. In some embodiments, thedisc launcher may also include an inner deflection member disposed inthe front rail, between the top portion and the bottom portion, wherethe inner deflection member deflects outward when the disc is launched.In some embodiments, the inner deflection member is removable. The disclauncher may also include multiple additional inner deflection members,where the inner deflection member and the additional inner deflectionmembers have different sizes to allow the disc launching device toaccommodate differently sized discs.

In some embodiments, the front rail may be longer than and/or morecurved than the back rail. In some embodiments, the front rail mayinclude a deflection member for providing friction between the frontrail and the disc, to generate spin in the disc when it is thrown. Thedisc launcher may also include at least one adjustment member disposedon the front rail, for adjusting an amount of holding force applied tothe disc with the deflection member and thus adjusting an amount oflaunching force required to launch the disc out of the opening. In someembodiments, for example, the adjustment member may be an adjustmentslider that slides along a top of the front rail from a least forceposition to a greatest force position.

In some embodiments, the opening in the disc holder is smaller than amaximum diameter of the disc, and one end of the front rail deflects toallow the disc to launch out of the opening when the sufficient forwardmomentum is applied to the disc launching device. The front rail mayhave an inner, disc holding surface that is curved, and the back railmay have an inner, disc holding surface that is straight. In someembodiments, the inner, disc holding surface of each of the front railand the back rail is V-shaped. The handle may extend from the discholder at an oblique angle relative to the throwing direction of thedisc. Some embodiments may include only a top support member, whilealternative embodiments also include a bottom support member.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for launching adisc, using a disc launching device, involves holding a grip end of ahandle of the disc launching device, grasping the disc with a discholder coupled with an attachment end of the handle at an opposite endof an elongate shaft of the handle, and swinging the handle of the disclaunching device with sufficient forward momentum to cause the disc tolaunch out of an opening in the disc holder. In some embodiments, thedisc holder includes a top support member, and grasping the discinvolves advancing a front rail of the disc holder over one side of thedisc and snapping a back rail of the disc holder over an opposite sideof the disc. In an alternative embodiment, the disc holder includes atop support member and a bottom support member, and grasping the discinvolves sliding the disc into the disc holder between the top supportmember and the bottom support member. In such an embodiment, the openingin the disc holder may be located at a front of the device, and graspingthe disc may involve sliding the disc into a corresponding back openingin a back of the disc holder.

Optionally, the method may also include, before swinging the handle,moving the handle relative to the disc holder from a loadingconfiguration, in which a longitudinal axis of the handle is angledrelative to a longitudinal axis of the disc holder, to a throwingconfiguration, in which the longitudinal axis of the handle is parallelto the longitudinal axis of the disc holder. The method may also includelocking the handle relative to the disc holder in the throwingconfiguration, in which the longitudinal axis of the handle is parallelto the longitudinal axis of the disc holder.

Swinging the handle of the disc launching device with sufficient forwardmomentum may involve deflecting a deflection member on a disc contactsurface of the front rail to allow the disc to launch out of the openingin the disc holder. In some embodiments, the method may also includeadjusting an adjustment member coupled with the front rail, to adjust anamount of force with which the deflection member holds the disc and thusadjust an amount of force required to be applied to the launching deviceto launch the disc. For example, adjusting the adjustment member mayinvolve sliding a slider along the front rail between a least forceposition and a greatest force position. Some embodiments of the methodmay further involve removing the deflection member from the front railand attaching a replacement deflection member to the front rail, wherethe deflection member and the replacement deflection member havedifferent sizes to accommodate different sizes of discs in the disclaunching device.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, a disc launching system mayinclude the disc launcher as described above, with first and secondinner deflection members for the front rail. The first and second innerdeflection members are interchangeable in the front rail, and they havedifferent heights to accommodate different disc with differentdiameters. The system may include third, fourth and any additionalsuitable numbers of deflection members to accommodate any number of discsizes.

These and other aspects and embodiments will be described in furtherdetail below, in relation to the attached drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are top perspective and bottom perspective views,respectively, of a disc launching device, according to one embodiment;

FIGS. 1C and 1D are top views of a disc holder and distal portion of ahandle of the disc launching device of FIGS. 1A and 1B, with FIG. 1Cincluding a disc;

FIG. 1E is a bottom view of the disc holder and distal handle portion ofFIGS. 1C and 1D;

FIGS. 1F and 1G are front side views of the disc launching device ofFIGS. 1A-1E, with FIG. 1F including a disc;

FIG. 1H is a back side view of the of the disc launching device of FIGS.1A-1G;

FIGS. 1I and 1J are top and bottom views, respectively, of the disclaunching device of FIGS. 1A-1H, illustrating swinging directions anddisc launching directions of a right-handed throw (FIG. 1I) and aleft-handed throw (FIG. 1J);

FIG. 2 is three top views of the disc launching device of FIGS. 1A-1J,illustrating a right-handed throwing motion and launching direction,according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3 is three top views of the disc launching device of FIGS. 1A-1J,illustrating a left-handed throwing motion and launching direction,according to one embodiment;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are top perspective and side cross-sectional views,respectively, of an attachment portion of a handle connected to a topsupport member of a disc launching device, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4C is a perspective view of the portion of the disc launchingdevice of FIGS. 4A and 4B, illustrating a loading configuration andloading motion for a disc, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4D is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. 4C, showingthe connection between the handle and the top support member in theloading configuration;

FIG. 4E is a perspective view of the portion of the disc launchingdevice of FIG. 4C, illustrating a motion for returning the disclaunching device to a throwing configuration;

FIG. 4F is a perspective view of the same portion as in FIG. 4E, butshown in a throwing configuration, as opposed to the loadingconfiguration;

FIG. 4G is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. 4F, showingthe connection between the handle and the top support member in thethrowing configuration;

FIG. 5A is a top, partially exploded view of the disc holder and distalportion of the handle of the disc launching device, illustratingconnection of a deflection member to the front rail of the disc holder,according to one embodiment;

FIG. 5B is a bottom perspective view of the two-part deflection memberof FIG. 5A;

FIG. 5C is a top, partial cross-sectional view of the disc holder of thedisc launching device, illustrating the size of the front opening,compared to the diameter of the disc, according to one embodiment;

FIGS. 5D-5F are top views of the front rail of the disc holder,illustrating motion of an adjustment slider to adjust spin, forces andlaunch speed applied to the disc by the disc launching device, accordingto one embodiment;

FIG. 6A is a top view of the front rail of the disc holder, illustratinga setting of the adjustment slider at a lowest deflection force or “slowthrow” position, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 6B illustrates an example trajectory of a disc thrown with a slowthrow when the adjustment slider is in the slow throw position, as inFIG. 6A;

FIG. 6C illustrates an example trajectory of a disc thrown with a fastthrow when the adjustment slider is in the slow throw position, as inFIG. 6A;

FIG. 7A is a top view of the front rail of the disc holder, illustratinga setting of the adjustment slider at or near a highest deflection forceor “fast throw” position, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 7B illustrates an example trajectory of a disc thrown with a slowthrow when the adjustment slider is in the fast throw position, as inFIG. 7A;

FIG. 7C illustrates an example trajectory of a disc thrown with a fastthrow when the adjustment slider is in the fast throw position, as inFIG. 7A;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are top and cross-sectional views, respectively(portions of the disc holder removed for illustrative purposes in FIG.8B), showing the front rail of the disc holder, with the adjustmentslider in the slow throw position;

FIGS. 8C and 8D are top and cross-sectional views, respectively(portions of the disc holder removed for illustrative purposes in FIG.8D), showing the front rail of the disc holder, with the adjustmentslider in the fast throw position;

FIGS. 8E and 8F are perspective views showing the front rail of the discholder and deflection of the deflection member, with the adjustmentslider in the fast throw position (FIG. 8E) and in the slow throwposition (FIG. 8F);

FIGS. 9A and 9B are top perspective and bottom perspective views,respectively, of a disc launching device, according to an alternativeembodiment that includes a top support member but not a bottom supportmember;

FIGS. 9C and 9D are top views of a disc holder and distal portion of ahandle of the disc launching device of FIGS. 9A and 9B, with FIG. 9Cincluding a disc;

FIG. 9E is a front side view of the disc launching device of FIGS.9A-9D, including a disc;

FIGS. 9F and 9G are top perspective and side cross-sectional views,respectively, of an attachment portion of a handle connected to a topsupport member of a disc launching device, according to one embodiment;

FIGS. 9H and 9I are side views of a distal portion of the handle and thetop support member of the disc launching device, shown in throwingconfiguration (FIG. 9H) and loading configuration (FIG. 9I), accordingto one embodiment;

FIGS. 10A and 10B are perspective views of a distal portion of the disclaunching device, illustrating a method for loading a disc into thedevice, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 11A is a top view of the distal portion of the disc launchingdevice, with a disc loaded into it;

FIG. 11B is a top view of a disc holder of a disc launching device,according to another alternative embodiment;

FIG. 11C is a top, partially exploded view of a disc holder of the disclaunching device of FIG. 11A;

FIG. 11D is a top, partial cross-sectional view of the disc holder ofFIGS. 11A and 11C, illustrating the diameter of the front openingrelative to the diameter of the disc; and

FIG. 11E is a front side view of the disc holder of FIGS. 11A, 11C and11D, illustrating the with width of the front rail and the back rail andforces applied with the front rail and back rail to the disc.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Described herein is a disc launching device, system and method, forlaunching a sports disc, commonly referred to as a “Frisbee.” Thedevice, system and method may be used, in various embodiments, to launchany size, shape and weight of disc. For example, in disc golf, playersoften switch between different sizes and weights of discs during around. In some embodiments described herein, the disc launching deviceis adjustable to accommodate such variations in disc dimensions.Additionally, the device, system and method may also be used, or adaptedfor use, to launch any other type of disc, such as a disc-shaped claytarget used in skeet shooting. Thus, the device, system and methodherein is not limited to launching any particular type, size, shape orweight of disc.

Referring now to FIGS. 1A-1J, one embodiment of a disc launching device10 (or simply “disc launcher”) is shown. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, thedisc launcher 10 includes a handle 12 and a disc holder 20, each ofwhich may include multiple sections, portions or parts. In thisembodiment, the handle 12 is an elongate, one-piece construction havinga grip portion 14 (or “grip end”) for holding with a hand, an attachmentend 16 (or “attachment portion”) for attaching to the disc holder 20,and a shaft 18 extending between the two ends 14, 16. The disc holder 20includes a front rail 22, a back rail 24, and at least a top supportmember 26 extending between the two rails 22, 24. Optionally, the discholder 20 may also include an adjustment member 28, for adjusting anamount of holding force applied to the disc 30 by the front rail 22. Allof these various features are described in greater detail below.

Also shown in FIG. 1A is a front opening 40 of the disc holder 20. Thesize or width of the front opening 40 is labeled in FIG. 1A, and it isout of the front opening 40 that the disc 30 is launched. The discholder 20 also includes a back opening 41, which is used for loading thedisc 30 into the disc holder 20. In this embodiment, the user slides thedisc 30 into the back opening 41 and then swings the disc launcher 10via the handle 12 with sufficient force to launch the disc 30 out of thefront opening 40. The size of the front opening 40 is smaller than thediameter of the disc 30, so that the front opening 40 deflects, whensufficient swinging/launching force is applied, to allow the disc 30 toeject/launch out of the front opening 40. This process is described infurther detail below.

In general, the handle 12 and the disc holder 20 of the disc launchingdevice 10 are configured to work together to hold the disc 30 and allowa thrower to swing the handle with sufficient forward momentum to launchthe disc 30 out of the disc holder 20 in a successful disc throw. Anumber of different forces come into play in launching any disc 30, andmore specifically in launching a disc 30 from the disc launcher 10.Aerodynamic lift, for example, is based on the Bernoulli Principle, therelationship between the velocity, pressure, and height of a fluid atany point in the same stream line. Fluids flowing at fast velocity havelower pressure than fluids flowing at a slower velocity. Drag force alsocomes into play and is related to the viscosity/density of air and thevelocity of the throw (or velocity of fluid relative to the disc).Angular momentum, which creates gyroscopic stability, is anotherimportant force. The aerodynamic forces acting on the disc 30 are notdirectly centered on the disc 30. Rather, the lift on the front half ofthe disc 30 is slightly larger than the lift on the back half, whichcauses a torque on the disc 30. If the flying disc 30 were not spinning,this torque would flip the front of the disc 30 up and stable flightwould be lost (distance decreased). The greater the spin (faster therotation), the greater the angular momentum and the decreased effectthis torque has on the disc 30. This may be referred to as “gyroscopicstability,” as it results in a more stable flight.

One of the advantages the disc launcher 10 may provide, as compared tothrowing a disc 30 by hand, is a longer moment arm provided by the longhandle 12, which translates into greater forward velocity and greaterangular momentum. Additionally, the friction-generating front rail 22leads to greater angular momentum. Furthermore, the two rails 22, 24together make the disc release angle (or “angle of attack”) moreconsistent than when thrown by hand, resulting in greater stability.These are only some of the advantages of the disc launcher 10, others ofwhich are discussed below.

The handle 12 has a relatively simple construction and may, inalternative embodiments, have any suitable variations in size, shape andmaterials. For example, the handle 12 may have any suitable length andwidth, although in most embodiments the handle 12 will have at least asufficient length to facilitate generation of sufficient disc launchingforce by the user swinging his or her arm. Similarly, the grip portion14 may have any suitable shape, for example any number of ergonomicshapes to provide comfortable gripping. The shaft 18 may have grooves,notches, designs or any other features, as desired. The attachment end16 will be described further below, but in this embodiment has aU-shaped end for attaching to the disc holder 20. The handle 12 may bemade of any suitable material, and various embodiments may havedifferent amounts of stiffness or rigidity. Suitable materials mayinclude, but are not limited to, plastic, rubber, various polymers,carbon-fiber composites, wood, metal or combinations thereof. In someembodiments, the handle 12 is one piece, while in other embodiments itmay be multiple pieces attached together. In some embodiments, thelengths of the handle 12 and the grip portion 14 may be appropriate foreither single-handed throwing or two-handed throwing. In someembodiments, the grip portion 14 of the handle may be very stiff, whilethe attachment end 16 may have more flexibility, relative to the gripportion 14. This combination of flexibility/stiffness may helpfacilitate the snapping motion used to release the disc. In otherembodiments, however, the handle 12 may be equally stiff along itsentire length.

In the illustrated embodiment, the handle 12 is attached to the discholder 20 at an oblique angle, relative to the front opening 40. In thisembodiment, for example, the handle 12 is attached at approximately a135-degree angle, relative to the front opening 40. In variousembodiments, the angle may be vary from about 90 degrees to about 180degrees. In general, changing the angle simply changes where along theswing stroke the disc leaves the disc launcher 10. The 135 degree anglemay be an ideal angle for enabling a user of the device 10 to generate astraight throw. In alternative embodiments, however, any of a number ofsuitable oblique angle connections of greater than 90 degrees, such asbut not limited to about 110 degrees to about 150 degrees for example,may be advantageous for allowing a user to generate swinging force inthe handle 12 and have that force translate into a successful, straightlaunch of the disc 30.

Referring now to FIG. 1B, a bottom view of the disc launching device 10is provided. This view shows a bottom support member 32, which togetherwith the top support member 26 (shown in FIG. 1A) connects the frontrail 22 to the back rail 24. The front rail 22 and the back rail 24 alsohave top and bottom portions, which are joined together and whichcontact and hold top and bottom surfaces of the disc 30. Thus, as willbe shown in subsequent figures, the disc holder 20 contacts and appliesholding force to the disc 30 in two different ways. First, the frontrail 22 and the back rail 24 contact the outer edge of the disc 30 andapply inwardly directed force to the disc 30 to hold it. This may bereferred to as “vertical force,” where the vertical direction is inreference to viewing the disc holder 20 from a top view, with the frontrail 22 thus on “top” and the back rail 24 on the “bottom,” relative tothe disc 30. Second, the top and bottom of the front rail 22 and theback rail 24 contact the top and bottom surfaces of the disc 30 andapply gripping force in that way as well. This force may be referred toas a “pinching force,” since the disc is “pinched” between top andbottom portions of the front rail 22 and the back rail 24. To launch thedisc 30 out of the front opening 40, the user must swing the handle 12with sufficient force to overcome these vertical and pinching forces andpartially deflect portions of the disc holder 20.

In alternative embodiments, one of which is illustrated in subsequentfigures, the disc launcher 10 may include only a top support member 26and not a bottom support member 32. Thus, only one support member 26 isrequired, although there may be advantages to having a top supportmember 26 and a bottom support member 32.

FIGS. 1C and 1D are top views of a portion of the disc launching device10, including the disc holder 20 and the distal portion of the handle12, with FIG. 1C also showing the disc 30. FIG. 1E is a bottom view ofthe same portion of the disc launcher 10. These figures simply show thedisc holder 20 in more detail. As will be explained further insubsequent drawings, the adjustment member 28, which in this example isan adjustment slider 28, is used to adjust the amount of holding forceapplied to the disc 30 by the disc holder 20. The adjustment slider 28is coupled with a deflection member (not visible in these figures, butlocated inside the front rail 22). When the adjustment member 28 ismoved all the way forward, closest to the front opening 40, the holdingforce is maximized, and the swinging/launching force required to launchthe disc 30 is also maximized. This greater amount of force willtypically translate to launching the disc 30 with more spin and for alonger disc throw. When the adjustment slider 28 is moved to the otherend of the front rail 22, closest to the back opening 41, the amount ofholding force and required launching force is minimized. This typicallytranslates to less spin and a shorter throw.

Referring now to FIGS. 1F-1H, three side views of the disc launcher 10are provided. FIG. 1F is a front side view, showing the front opening40, with a disc 30 residing in the disc holder 20. FIG. 1G is the sameas FIG. 1F but with the disc 30 removed. FIG. 1H is a back side view,showing the back opening 41 with no disc 30. FIGS. 1F-1H all show how afront rail top portion 22 a and a front rail bottom portion 22 b cometogether to form an inner surface 23 that is V-shaped. Similarly, a backrail top portion 24 a and a back rail bottom portion 24 b come togetherto form an inner surface 25 that is V-shaped. These V-shaped innersurfaces 23, 25 are shaped and sized to contact and hold the disc 30.Different embodiments of the disc launcher 10 may include disc holders20 with different opening widths, to accommodate different sizes ofdiscs 30. In some embodiments, as will be explained below, the size ofdisc holder 20 may also be adjustable, to accommodate different discsizes with the same disc launcher 10.

Referring now to FIGS. 1I and 1J, a top view and a bottom view of thedisc launcher 10, respectively, are provided. These figures illustratethat the disc launching device 10 ambidextrous, meaning it can be usedby a right-handed person or a left-handed person. To throw with the lefthand, as illustrated in FIG. 1J, the user simply flips the disc launcher10 over, so the bottom of the disc launcher 10 faces up. These figuresillustrate the longitudinal axis of the handle 12 and the oblique angle38 between the handle longitudinal axis 34 and the launching direction36 of the disc 30. The large curved arrows at the bottom of the figuresillustrate the direction in which the user swings the handle 12 tolaunch the disc 30.

With reference to FIG. 2, a right-handed throw is illustrated in furtherdetail. This figure shows the right-handed swing direction 42, the discthrow direction 36, the disc rotation direction 44, and the disc exitdirection 46. The bottom-most portion of the figure shows the disclauncher 10 in a pre-swing or backswing position. The middle portionshows the disc launcher 10 just as the disc 30 about to exit the frontopening 40. The left-most portion of the figure shows the disc launcher10 in a follow through position. Thus, FIG. 2 illustrates the variousforces and spins generated during a right-handed throw.

FIG. 3 is simply a reversed version of FIG. 2, illustrating aleft-handed throw. Again, the swing direction 42, disc throw direction36, disc rotation direction 44, and disc exit direction 46 are allillustrated with arrows. And again, to accomplish the left-handed throw,the disc launcher 10 is simply flipped over, so the bottom supportmember 32 is on top, and the disc is loaded so that the top of the discis facing up.

Referring now to FIGS. 4A-4G, in some embodiments, the disc launcher 10may be moved from a disc pick-up configuration to a disc launchingconfiguration, by adjusting an angle of the handle 12 relative to thedisc holder 20. The purpose of this adjustability is to allow a user topick up a disc 30 off the ground without having to stoop or bend overand pick up the disc 30 by hand. FIG. 4A is a detailed perspective viewof the attachment end 16 of the handle 12 and a small portion of the topsupport member 26 of the disc holder 20. FIG. 4B is a close-up,cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. 4A. These two figuresillustrate that the attachment end 16 may be attached to the top supportmember 26 via an axle 50, which may include a screw 52, for example. Theaxle 50 may extend through a portion of the top support member 20 andtwo distal-most prongs or ends of the attachment end 16, such that theattachment end can rotate about the axle 50 to move up and down relativeto the top support member 26. The top support member 26 may also includea locking member 54 (or “snap lock”), which locks the attachment end 16in a parallel configuration relative to the top support member 26. Thisparallel configuration is also called the throwing configuration, sincethis is the position used for throwing or launching the disc 30 from thedisc launcher 10. Any non-parallel configuration or position, where thehandle 12 is angled relative to the top support member 26, may bereferred to as a disc pick-up or disc loading configuration.

FIGS. 4C and 4D illustrate this disc loading configuration. The curvedarrow illustrates how the handle 12 swings up, relative to the discholder 20, to assume the disc pick-up configuration. In someembodiments, the handle 12 may be positioned at a 90-degree anglerelative to the disc holder 20 when in the disc loading configuration.Alternatively, the angle may be less than 90 degrees for disc loading insome embodiments. The user may then slide the back opening 41 of thedisc holder 20 over the disc 30, to load the disc 30 into the discholder 20. In some embodiments, the locking member 54 or a differentlocking member may act to lock the handle 12 in the disc pick-upconfiguration.

FIGS. 4E-4G illustrate how the handle 12 is moved from the disc loadingconfiguration (FIG. 4E) to the throwing configuration (FIG. 4F). FIG. 4Gis a detailed, cross-sectional view, illustrating how the locking member54 locks the attachment end 16 of the handle 12 relative to the topsupport member 26 of the disc holder 20 in the throwing configuration.

With reference now to FIGS. 5A-5F, the disc holding and deflectionfeatures of the disc launching device 10 will be explained in furtherdetail. As previously described, the disc 30 is held in the disc holder20 by the front rail 22 and the back rail 24, which are connected by thetop support member 26 and the bottom support member 32. In someembodiments, the top support member 26 and the bottom support member 32may also help to hold the disc 30. The top support member 26 and thebottom support member 32 may help prevent the disc 30 from bowing orbending up or down during the throwing process, thus improvinggyroscopic stability. The focus of the disc holding forces, and thus thefollowing description, is on the front rail 22 and the back rail 24.

In general, the back rail 24 is either completely straight or almostcompletely straight. It is a low friction holder of the disc 30, meaningthat, compared to the front rail 22, it allows the disc 30 to exit thefront opening 40 with little friction or resistance. The front rail 22,by contrast, is at least slightly curved and may also be longer than theback rail 24. The front rail thus curves around the disc 30, making thefront opening 40 smaller than the diameter of the disc 30. Thiscurvature not only holds the disc 30 in the disc holder 20 but alsoprovides resistance against the disc 30, creating elastic potentialenergy, which is converted to angular momentum and spin of the disc 30as it exits the front opening 40. This resistance or friction convertsangular momentum (of the swinging handle 12) into spin of the disc 30.For the disc 30 to exit the front opening 40, however, one or moreportions of the front rail 22 and in some cases the back rail 24 mustdeflect.

Referring to FIG. 5A, in one embodiment two pieces may be attached tothe front rail 22 to provide a deflection member 55, for applying aholding force to the disc 30. The deflection member 55 fits down intothe front rail, between the top portion and the bottom portion of therail 22. The top piece of the deflection member 55 may be referred to asa flexible beam 56, and the bottom piece may be referred to as disccontact member 58. In alternative embodiments, the deflection member 55may be one piece or may be integral with the front rail 22. Althoughthis fact will not be repeated below, any of the features describedbelow as applying to the flexible beam 56 or the disc contact member 58may be applied, in alternative embodiments, to a combined, one-piecedeflection member 55 or a deflection portion that is integral with thefront rail 22.

FIG. 5B shows the deflection member 55 in greater detail. This figureshows how, in this embodiment, the disc contact member 58 fits withinthe flexible beam. It also illustrates the V-shaped inner surface 59 andmultiple grooves 57 of the disc contact member 58. The inner surface 59of the disc contact member 58 may have any suitable shape, surfacetexture, material or other features to enhance its function. In oneembodiment, the flexible beam 56 may be made out of a relatively hardplastic material, and the disc contact member 58 may be made of a moreflexible, low durometer material, such as rubber, so that it grips theedge of the disc 30. Additionally, in some embodiments, the disclaunching device 10 may be provided with multiple disc contact members58, each having a different height or thickness from top to bottom.These different disc contact members 58 may be interchanged to make thedisc launcher 10 compatible with multiple different sizes of discs.

FIG. 5C is a top view of the disc holder 20, with the center of the disc30 and portions of the disc holder 20 removed for illustrative purposes.FIG. 5C illustrates that the diameter 60 of the disc is larger than thatof the front opening 40. The deflection member 55 must thus deflectupward (or outward) in the deflection direction 62, to allow the disc 30to launch through the front opening 40. A portion of the deflectionmember 55 located in front of the adjustment slider 28 may be referredto as the deflection portion 66. The longer the deflection portion 66,the more flexible and easily deflected will be the front rail 22. Theshorter the deflection portion 66, the stiffer and more resistant todeflection will be the front rail 22.

As illustrated in FIGS. 5D-5F, sliding the adjustment slider 28 alongthe front rail 22 adjusts the stiffness/flexibility of the deflectionmember 55 and thus the front rail 22. FIGS. 5D and 5E show theadjustment slider 28 in a far rear position, which makes the front rail22 and the deflection member 55 the most flexible/most easily deflected.The straight, downward pointing arrow illustrates the vertical holdingforce 64 applied to the disc 30 by the deflection member 55 and thefront rail 22. The curved arrow shows the deflection force direction 68that the disc places on the deflection portion 68 as disc launchingforce is applied by swinging the handle 12. A disc throw with the discholder 20 in this configuration will typically be slower in speed andshorter in distance.

Referring to FIG. 5F, sliding the adjustment slider 28 along the toprail 22 towards the front opening 40 makes the front rail 22 stiffer,thus increasing the required launching force and the spin on the disc30. Sliding the adjustment slider 28 away from the front opening 40makes the front rail 22 more flexible, thus decreasing the requiredlaunching force and the spin on the disc 30. In this configuration, moreholding force is placed on the disc 30 by the front rail 22, and it isharder to deflect the deflection portion 66. A disc throw with the discholder 20 in this configuration will typically be faster in speed andlonger in distance. This method of adjusting the adjustment slider 28forwards and/or backwards may be referred to as the “dial-a-distance”method.

With reference now to FIGS. 6A-6C, two examples are illustrated of discthrows from the disc launching device 10. As illustrated in FIG. 6A, forthese two example disc throws, the adjustment slider 28 is positioned atthe back end of the front rail 22, thus creating a large deflectionportion 66. This is the most flexible, least resistant position and maybe referred to as the “slow throw position.” FIG. 6B illustrates a slow,easy, low force throw made with the disc launcher 10 in the slow throwposition. As illustrated, the throw results in a relatively straighttrajectory 70, and although not apparent from a drawing, the disc 30will travel at a slower speed. The disc 30 may travel, for example,approximately 200 feet with such a throw.

FIG. 6C illustrates what might happen if the user attempts a fast, highforce throw with the disc launcher 10 in the configuration of FIG. 6A.In this example, the disc 30, which is subjected to a larger, harderswinging force, exits the disc holder 20 earlier in the swing andlaunches out in a sideways trajectory 72. The speed of the disc 30 willbe faster, but it does not travel straight and might only travel, forexample, approximately 150 feet.

FIGS. 7A-7C show the opposite throwing scenario, with the disc holder inthe “fast throw position,” with the adjustment slider moved almost allthe way forward, thus creating a very short deflection portion 66 (FIG.7A). In FIG. 7B, the disc 30 has been subjected to a slower, easierswinging force and exits the disc holder 20 later in the swing andlaunches out in a sideways trajectory 74. The speed is slow, thetrajectory is not straight, and the distance will be short, such asabout 150 feet for example. In FIG. 7C, the disc 30 has been subjectedto a faster, harder swing of the disc launcher 10, thus sending the disc30 on a straighter, farther path, for example about 400 feet. Of course,a nearly infinite number of adjustment positions of adjustment slider 28and velocity of throws may be applied to the disc launcher 10, resultingin a nearly infinite number of different throw paths and distances.FIGS. 6A-7C are provided for exemplary purposes only.

FIGS. 8A-8F are various views of the top rail 22 and the deflectionmember 55 of the disc holder 20, shown in relation to the disc 30. Thesefigures illustrate how the top rail 22 and the deflection member 55deflect differently when the adjustment slider 28 is the rearward or“slow throw” position (FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8F) versus the forward or “fastthrow” position (FIGS. 8C-8E).

FIGS. 9A-11E illustrate an alternative embodiment of a disc launchingdevice 100. The primary difference between this embodiment and thepreviously described disc launcher 10 is that this disc launcher 100 hasonly a top support member 126 and no bottom support member. This will bedescribed in further detail below. In general, any of the features,attributes and methods of use described above may be included in, orapplied to, the disc launcher 100 of FIGS. 9A-11E.

Referring now to FIG. 9A, the disc launcher 100 includes a handle 112and a disc holder 120. In this embodiment, the handle 112 is anelongate, one-piece construction having a grip end 114 for holding witha hand, an attachment end 116 for attaching to the disc holder 120, anda shaft 118 extending between the two ends 114, 116. The disc holder 120includes a front rail 122, a back rail 124, and the top support member126 extending between the two rails 122, 124. The disc holder 120 mayalso include an adjustment member 128, for adjusting an amount ofholding force applied to the disc 130 by the front rail 122, and a frontchannel connector 129. The front channel connector 129 provides a rigidconnection for the front rail 122 and stabilizes the disc 130 upon exit.It extends upward more prominently in this embodiment of the disclauncher 100, because the front channel connector 129 needs to be largerthan the diameter of the disc 130 in this embodiment, so the disc 130can exit. This is the case, because the front rail 122 is curved tomatch the diameter of the disc, rather than relatively straight in theprevious embodiment.

In this embodiment, the grip end 114 of the handle 112 includes a gripopening 115, and the shaft 118 includes a shaft opening 119. These mayfacilitate gripping and flexing of the handle, respectively. Theattachment end 116 is U-shaped for attaching to the top support member126. A locking member 154 on the top support member 126 locks theattachment end 116 relative to the top support member 126 in thethrowing configuration, as discussed above. The handle 112 may be madeof any suitable material, and various embodiments may have differentamounts of stiffness or rigidity. Suitable materials may include, butare not limited to, plastic, rubber, various polymers, carbon-fibercomposites, wood, metal or combinations thereof. In some embodiments,the handle 112 is one piece, while in other embodiments it may bemultiple pieces attached together.

Referring now to FIG. 9B, a bottom view of the disc launching device 100shows the lack of a bottom support member. Although there is no bottomsupport member, the front rail 122 and the back rail 124 have top andbottom portions, which contact and hold top and bottom surfaces of thedisc 130. Thus, as will be shown in subsequent figures, the disc holder120 contacts and applies holding force to the disc 130 in two differentways, as previously described.

FIGS. 9C and 9D are top views of a portion of the disc launching device100, including the disc holder 120 and the distal portion of the shaft118 and the attachment portion 116 of the handle 112. FIG. 9C includesthe disc 130, and FIG. 9D does not. As shown in these two figures, thedisc holder 120 in this embodiment has a general S-shape, with both thefront rail 122 and also the back rail 124 having a curved shape.

FIG. 9E is a front side view of the disc launcher 100. In this view, thelocking member 154 is readily visible, protruding up from the topsupport member 126. The locking member locks the attachment end 116 ofthe handle 112 in the throwing configuration relative to the disc loader120.

FIGS. 9F and 9G illustrate the attachment end 116 of the handle 112 andthe locking member 154 of the top support member 126 in more detail. Aswith the previous embodiment, the locking member 154 may include an axle150 or pivot member, and the attachment end 116 may lock in place by asnap-fit connection with the locking member 154.

FIGS. 9H and 9I are side views of the distal portion of the handle 112and the disc holder 120. FIG. 9H shows the handle 112 in the throwingconfiguration, wherein its longitudinal axis is parallel with thelongitudinal axis of the disc holder 120. FIG. 9I shows the handle 112in a disc loading configuration, wherein the handle 112 is angled upwardrelative to the disc holder 120.

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate a method of picking up a disc 130 off theground, using the disc launcher 100. Picking the disc 130 up off theground with the launcher 100 may be advantageous for older or disabledpeople who cannot bend down, or even for a physically able person who isplaying catch with his or her dog and doesn't want to pick up aslobber-covered disc. In this method, as first illustrated in FIG. 10A,the front rail 122 may first be passed over one end of the disc 130, sothat the disc 130 fits into the U-shaped opening of the front rail 122.As illustrated in FIG. 10B, the back rail 124 may then be pushed down,typically by the thrower's foot, over the opposite edge of the disc 130,thus fully inserting the disc 130 into the disc holder 120. Since thediameter of the disc 130 is generally larger than the open diameter ofthe disc launcher 100, some amount of force will be required to snap thesecond side (the back rail 124 in this example) of the disc holder 120over the disc 130. In another embodiment, the disc 130 may be loadedinto the back rail 124 first and then the front rail 122.

FIG. 11A shows the disc 130 loaded into the disc holder 120 of the disclauncher 100. FIG. 11B shows an alternative embodiment of a disc holder170 for use with an alternative disc launcher. This embodiment includesa more slanted or angled front rail 172, in addition to the curved backrail 174 and top support member 176. As evidenced by this example, thedisc holder 170 may have any of a number of different shapes and sizes,according to various alternative embodiments.

FIG. 11C is a partially exploded view of the disc holder 120 of FIG.11A. Here, the displacement member 155 is shown removed from the frontrail 122. In this embodiment, the displacement member 155 is one piece.

FIG. 11D shows the front opening diameter 140 and the disc diameter 160of the disc holder 120. Again, the disc diameter 160 is larger than thefront opening diameter 140, so the disc holder 120 must deflect inresponse to generated elastic potential energy, in order to launch thedisc 130.

FIG. 11E is a front side view of the disc holder 120. This viewillustrates a height 162 of the opening in the front rail 122, which islikely the same as, or very similar to, a height of the correspondingopening in the back rail 124. The edges of the disc 130 fit into theseU-shaped openings in the two rails 122, 124, and the edges then passthrough the openings as the disc 130 is launched out of the disc holder120. The height 162, when compared to a thickness 164 of the disc 130,accounts for the vertical or pinching force placed on the disc 130 bythe front rail 122 and the back rail 124 to hold the disc 130. In orderfor the disc 130 to launch out of the disc holder 120, sufficientlaunching force must be applied to the disc 130 so that it displaces thetop and bottom portions of the front rail 122 and the back rail 124. Thedisplacement forces 165 are indicated by the curved arrows in FIG. 11E.

The above is a full and accurate description of various examples of adisc launching device, system and method. Although the description isthought to be complete, it is meant to describe examples only, and it isnot meant to limit the scope of the following claims. Any number ofadditions or other modifications to the examples described above may bemade, without departing from the scope of the claims.

1. (canceled)
 2. A disc launching device, comprising: a handle,comprising; a grip end for holding the handle; an attachment endopposite the grip end; and a shaft extending from the grip end to theattachment end; and a disc holder attached to the attachment end of thehandle, the disc holder comprising; a front rail with a top portion anda bottom portion for holding and applying a gripping force to top andbottom surfaces of a disc; a back rail with a top portion and a bottomportion for holding and applying the gripping force to the top andbottom surfaces of the disc; and a support member extending between thefront rail and the back rail, wherein the attachment end of the handleis coupled with the support member, wherein the front rail and the backrail form a front opening out of which the disc launches when sufficientforward momentum is applied to the disc holder via the handle, and aback opening through which the disc is loaded into the disc holder, andwherein the front rail and the back rail, via the at least one supportmember, are configured to apply an inwardly directed force to the disc,toward a center of the disc, when the disc is held in the disc holder.3. The disc launching device of claim 2, wherein the disc holder definesa plane, and wherein the handle is moveable relative to the disc holderfrom a loading configuration, in which a longitudinal axis of the handleis angled relative to the plane of the disc holder, and a throwingconfiguration, in which the longitudinal axis of the handle is in theplane or parallel to the plane of the disc holder.
 4. The disc launchingdevice of claim 3, further comprising a locking member to lock thehandle relative to the disc holder in the throwing configuration.
 5. Thedisc launching device of claim 4, wherein the locking member is alsoconfigured to lock the handle relative to the disc holder in the loadingconfiguration.
 6. The disc launching device of claim 2, wherein an innersurface of each of the front rail and the back rail has an inward facingV-shape.
 7. The disc launching device of claim 2, further comprising aninner deflection member disposed in the front rail, between the topportion and the bottom portion, wherein the inner deflection memberdeflects outward when the disc is launched.
 8. The disc launching deviceof claim 7, wherein the inner deflection member is removable.
 9. Thedisc launching device of claim 8, further comprising multiple additionalinner deflection members, wherein the inner deflection member and theadditional inner deflection members have different sizes to allow thedisc launching device to accommodate differently sized discs.
 10. Thedisc launching device of claim 2, wherein the front rail is at least oneof longer than or more curved than the back rail.
 11. The disc launchingdevice of claim 2, wherein the front rail comprises a deflection memberfor providing friction between the front rail and the disc to generatespin in the disc when it is thrown.
 12. The disc launching device ofclaim 11, further comprising an adjustment member disposed on the frontrail, for adjusting an amount of holding force applied to the disc withthe deflection member and thus adjusting an amount of launching forcerequired to launch the disc out of the opening.
 13. The disc launchingdevice of claim 12, wherein the adjustment member comprises anadjustment slider that slides along a top of the front rail from a leastforce position to a greatest force position.
 14. The disc launchingdevice of claim 2, wherein a diameter of the front opening in the discholder is smaller than a maximum diameter of the disc and is smallerthan a diameter of the back opening in the disc holder, and wherein afront end of the front rail deflects to allow the disc to launch out ofthe front opening when the sufficient forward momentum is applied to thedisc launching device.
 15. The disc launching device of claim 14,wherein the front rail has a curved inner, disc holding surface, andwherein the back rail has a straight inner, disc holding surface. 16.The disc launching device of claim 15, wherein the inner, disc holdingsurface of each of the front rail and the back rail is V-shaped.
 17. Thedisc launching device of claim 2, wherein the handle extends from thedisc holder at an oblique angle relative to a throwing direction of thedisc.
 18. The disc launching device of claim 2, wherein the at least onesupport member comprises a top support member that resides over a topsurface of the disc when the disc is located in the disc holder.
 19. Thedisc launching device of claim 18, wherein the at least one supportmember further comprises a bottom support member that resides below abottom surface of the disc when the disc is located in the disc holder,and wherein the attachment end of the handle is attached only to the topsupport member.